God does not leave us to ourselves to figure out how to worship Him. He has given us a specific way (in Christ) and endows us with His Holy Spirit to do so.

Moses has been up on that mountain for quite some time getting instructions from Lord, and the Israelites get very impatient—so impatient that they convince Aaron to build them an idol god so that they could “worship” Him. The ink on the Ten Commandments hasn’t even dried yet, and they are already SERIOUSLY violating the first one! God’s sees this and gets angry enough to want to destroy them. However, Moses intercedes for them and God spares them from His wrath.

We must ALWAYS wait patiently on God and refuse to settle for a cheap idol to fill our desire for worship. Ours may not be a golden calf. Maybe it’s our car, gadgets, children, or spouse…Also, let us never downgrade the power of prayer—especially intercession. Because of Moses’ faithfulness to God and willingness to intercede for His people, Moses was able to see the glory of God—so will we. Chances are He’s not going to side-slide by you on a mountain while you hide in a rock, but His glory will be revealed in others ways, namely His Son and the fruit of your regenerated heart’s work for Him.

In our NT reading, the Sadducees have approached Jesus in an attempt to disprove Him, and He throws a wrench in their plans with one of His classic moves: the double entendre (ambiguity of meaning arising from language that lends itself to more than one interpretation). He tells them that they do not know the Scriptures or the power of God and that God is not the God of the dead but of the living.

The Sadducees could recite Scriptures but they didn’t know the Scriptures. Jesus counts that as not knowing God at all because if they did they would have understood the things He was trying to teach them. Jesus also tells them, “And as for the resurrection of the dead, have you not read what was said to you by God: ‘I am the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob’? He is not God of the dead, but of the living.” Jesus meant that literally to validate the resurrection, but He was also trying to convey that God is not the God of those who are spiritually dead and stuck in their religious traditions. He is the God of those who are alive IN CHRIST. Only those alive in Christ can rightfully say they belong to God and He to them. The spiritually dead are not in Christ; therefore, He is not their God.

In Genesis 23, Abraham faced a big life changing event; the death of his wife Sarah.  Chapter 24 describes more of life’s challenges as Abraham’s chief servant takes a pledge to find Isaac a wife, among Abraham’s kindred and country.  I’m sure this guy had to be a little frightened by such a big task at hand.  Then Isaac meets his wife Rebekah, another big life changing event.

Matthew 8 makes it more evident, a leper in need to be clean from his leprosy, another desiring to go with Jesus anywhere, Peter’s mother-in-law who lay sick, and even a man possessed with demons coming into contact with Jesus Christ.  Oh yes, these are serious, life changing circumstances.  These things have the potential of producing fear, depression, frustration, nervousness, while looking to others for help.  There has to be direction which the believer in Christ can turn to.  There is!  That direction is to FOLLOW JESUS CHRIST, to follow God Almighty.

Genesis 24:12, Abrahams servant sought for this direction.  He prays to the Lord of his master to show him basically the direction in which he is to go, where to follow God at.  In verse 22 of Matthew, a similar direction, Jesus Christ admonishes a disciple to follow after Him.  Akoloutheō is the transliterated word for ‘follow’ in Matthew 8 text.  Taken from alpha (Christ as the beginning) and keleuthos (a road) it means to be a follower or companion, to follow one who precedes, join him as his attendant, accompany him.  Jesus Christ had prophesied to Peter about how his devoted life for Jesus would glorify God in death (definitely life changing); to which Jesus ends which the command to FOLLOW HIM (John 21:18-19).

Of course great multitudes followed Jesus coming down from the mountain in Matthew 8:1, but a leper was indeed in need of a life change.  Being faced with desperation, he worshipped Jesus and asks to be clean, and then Jesus gives him clear direction of a command to follow (v4).

When life throws a curve ball at you or a left hook, follow Christ.  Follow God by remembering His Word, praying and keeping your mind sober of things of this world (1 Peter 1:13).  When Sarah died, Abraham had to have been shaken.  The text says he came and wept for her (Genesis 23:2).  He experienced a real life changing event in the death of his wife. I think what would I do if my wife died (Lord help me!!!!)  Abraham followed God, we see that as he works out to find a burial place for his wife, and then in Chapter 24 get’s back to following the Lord’s promise from Genesis 12:2.  He sends his servant to search for Isaac a wife.  When there seems life has no direction, no way to turn, and even no way coming out:  FOLLOW CHRIST.  God bless and think on these words of scripture:

Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God (Hebrews 12:1-2).

That night God appears in a dream and scares Abimelech out of his socks. It is funny that God says “I did not allow you”. Often times we think we have free will; however, our free will, will NEVER complicate the plans and hand of God. We see here the protection of the seed. In spite of Abimelech’s anger he does not lay a hand on Sarah nor Abraham. If it were not for God’s hand Abimelech most likely would have slayed Abraham on the spot!

A quick side note is that Abimelech says that he is “innocent”. This is not totally true, yes, he may have been innocent in this act; however, no one is innocent. The true seed of Abraham will prove this by His death, burial and resurrection. Often times today we hear “why does bad things happen to good people”. This is a theological error. No one has been innocent since the fall as Paul rightfully points out “all have sinned and fallen short of God’s glory” (Romans 3:23).

Next in spite of Abraham’s sin God provides for the promise seed with the wealth of Abimelech (actually God owns all the wealth). This again shows us God’s provision for His people. Paul says to Timothy  “when we are faithless He remains faithful”. We will see that throughout the OT God will continually provide for His people Israel in spite of their failures.

The next provision has Gospel implications. After the promise child is born, God comes to Him and says “offer up your son for a burnt offering”. We can assume that Abraham wrestled with this idea; however, the scriptures never express this. Abraham moves collects the wood, gathers his knife and is ready to offer Isaac up. Immediately God rebukes Abraham and tells Him not to touch the child and provides a ram for him. It is funny that earlier Abraham ensures Isaac that “God will provide a lamb for Himself”. This lamb unfolds to be the Lord Jesus Christ.

However we will later see God will not spare His own son like He did Abraham’s. But what we do see in Hebrews 11 is that Abraham at this point in time was already trusting in the resurrection, he was sure if God told Him to do that He would raise Isaac from the dead, the promise depended on it and God had proved Himself faithful.  God would have raised Isaac just like the promise to us to be raised. Isaac and the ram are pictures and Jesus is the fulfillment.

Today’s reading has shown us that God’s promised plan given back in Genesis 3 is unfolding and we are getting closer and closer to that seed which will crush the serpents head. We see that God will not be prevented from accomplishing His promises. We can rest assure that what God has promised us He will do. He will protect and provide for this promise and through our faith we have been added to this promise.

Today’s OT reading has us with a very concerned Abram and Sarai. Just turn back to Genesis 12:1-9 and you will see exactly what I mean. Abram has left everything to follow this call from God. He has packed up His family has left everything familiar and was told:

“Go from your country and your kindred and your father’s house to the land that I will show you. 2 And I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you and make your name great, so that you will be a blessing. 3 I will bless those who bless you, and him who dishonors you I will curse, and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.”

I have read that families did not do this type of thing. To say it was counter-cultural would be a gross understatement. Everything rested on your family. There were no governments or laws to protect you. All you had was your family. At any given moment, someone could come to enslave you, rob you or even wipe your entire family off the face of the earth. So for Abram to leave was to do more than relocate and miss Christmas meals, it was to separate himself from his fathers wealth, his families protection and everything he has ever known. Not to mention he wasn’t a young and naive 18 year old running to New York. He was 75 years old and this is all he has ever known. Add to that he is taking along his wife for this journey only adds to the anxiety he must have felt.

But today’s reading puts us 25 years later. And if you haven’t noticed, Sarai is still barren and this promise seems to be fading at an alarming rate. Abram is 100 years old, Sarai is 90 years old (we find this out later) and there seems to be no significant change to validate this promise that Abram has heard.

Then God comes and reaasures Abram. He revalidates His promises but this time takes it a step further. Upon this reassurance we see Abram beliving God and him being “justified” by faith. This will become one of the most important words in your New Testament and if you read anything about theology this is an issue facing the church today. It was because of Abrams faith that God made Him righteous, yet he produced the fruit of faith by leaving all he knew to follow the call of God.

Shortly after that God then enters into a unilateral covenant thus sealing Abram’s justification (Romans 4) and guaranteeing His promise. In spite of Abram’s righteousness, faith and the covenant being ratified by God Himself. Abram still sins against the Lord. He attempts to give God a child instead of God giving him a child. In spite of this God shows His faithfulness to His own covenant by giving both Abram and Sarai new identities by changing their names and even in their unfaithfulness Abram’s offspring is blessed.

Today how many of us, after being called away from everything we knew and loved and lived for, given new names, new identities still do not trust God? Yet in spite of all of our lack of trust, God is still faithful to bring His promises to pass. Today you and I are aliens in a foregin land. The Gospel has brought us into a new relationship with new identies and a new destination yet often times our circumstances blinds us on the road much like Abraham’s circumstance blinded him. I remember reading Pilgrims Progress and sometimes Christian would turn the wrong way and find himself in some difficult circumstances, yet in spite of that God was bringing Him to the celestial city.

We have to understand that in spite of all we see in our own circumstances and the failure we experience,  God’s unilateral covenant has been ratified in the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Just like Abraham was justified by faith we too have been justified by faith. Just like Abraham was given a sign/seal of the covenant which was circumcision we too have been given a sign/seal of the covenant and He is the Holy Spirit which produces a new heart. And as with Sarah, God does not need our assistance in bringing His promises to pass, He only wants us to yield to Him. What God began He will complete. Romans 8:28-30 gives us a wonderful promise of God’s faithfulness to His covenant people. We can rest assured that we will be what He wants us to be, though we can make this journey rough for ourselves (you will see that Ishmael will become a problem to the promised seed).

Our new testament reading is also an introduction to a covenant. This covenant is called the “New Covenant”. Jesus in the sermon of the mount is beginning to lay the ground work for this covenant. He is the master builder, a new law giver and is now calling His people to a new moral standard. It is a moral standard built on the motivation of the heart not the letter of the law. We will later come to find out that just like the covenant with Abraham, it will be a gracious covenant. This covenant will be based on faith and upheld by God. There will be fruit requirement as evidence that we are part of this covenant and we see that in what Jesus is calling us to do, just like the fruit of Abraham’s faith was him leaving his father, but just like Abraham it will not be conditional. God will see that all He promised to Abraham come to fruition and Jesus will see that all He promised to His covenant people will come to fruition!